Hannah Ramsay (c1793-1870)
Hannah Hewitt - convict on the Numa in 1834 In 1831 Hannah Hewitt nee Ramsey's husband John Hewitt was convicted of stealing wheat and sentenced to 7 years transportation. Having left England on 7 February 1832, he arrived in New South Wales as a convict aboard the ship John ''4 months later on the 8 June 1832. On 21 October 1833, two years after John's conviction, Hannah Hewitt was tried and convicted of shop lifting. This was Hannah's 2nd conviction, her earlier conviction being for 1 months gaol. It was common for wives to commit crimes so that they could be transported to the Colony to join their husbands, and perhaps this is another example. Hannah was transported to Australia as a convict aboard the ''Numa with the 5 youngest of her 9 children (5 of the 24 children aboard the ship). Hannah's ship left England on 29 January 1834 and arrived in Port Jackson (Sydney) 4½ months later on 13 June 1834. On arrival in Port Jackson Hannah and her children were likely to have been sent to the Female Factory at Parramatta. Records in New South Wales show that she ended up being assigned to the employ of Judge Dowling in Syndey. Her husband John Hewitt died 2 August 1834 at Windsor and it is not known if he saw his wife and children before his death. Following her husband John's death in 1834 Hannah married again. Marriage 2: 1835 she married John Thompson, another convict Marriage 3: June 1839 she married John Bacon. Marriage 4: September 1854 she married William Brown The voyage of the ''Numa'' - Master (Captain) John Baker, Surgeon Superintentant Edward Ford Bromley. The'' Numa'' transported 140 female prisoners from England and Scotland to New South Wales in 1834. Surgeon Edward Ford Bromley kept a Medical and Surgical Journal from 14th October 1833 to 1st July 1834. The Times reported that the Numa, James Laing and Moffatt, all with convicts for Australia, lay windbound at St. Helen's and the Motherbank on 21st December 1833. Altogether 150 vessels were all waiting for moderate weather and a fair wind. It had blown during the previous week with great violence but without occasioning any loss to the ships whilst at anchor. The Numa finally departed England on 29 January 1834 and touched at the Cape where she departed on 17th March 1834. The Numa arrived in Port Jackson with 138 English female convicts, 24 children and 18 ton of gunpowder for the public service after a voyage of 135 days on''' 13 June 1834. The women were mustered on board the vessel on the 17 June 1834. There were three sick in the hospital, two had died at sea, 1 died in the General Hospital on shore. The indents include such information as name, age, education, religion, marital status, family, native place, trade, offence, when and where tried, sentence, prior convictions and physical description. There are also occasional notes of death, colonial sentences and pardons. There is no information in the indents as to whom the women were assigned on arrival. Those who were infirm, pregnant or had children with them were probably sent to the Female Factory at Parramatta. '''Hannah's description Hannah Hewitt is described in the indents of the Numa as 40 years of age, able to read & write, Protestant and married. It is noted that her husband is John Hewitt who arrived on the John in 1832. It is also noted that she arrived with 2 male children and 3 female children, and had left 2 sons & 2 daughters behind in England. Her occupation was as either a plain cook, or housemaid of all-work. Her physical description is of a ruddy complexion with brown hair mixed with grey, brown eyes, 5' 1" (155cm) tall, and some pock marks on her chin. She had also lost some of her upper front teeth, had a scar on the back of the top of the little finger of the left hand, and a scar on the inside top of the fore-finger on the same hand.